The military and running connection between Bryce Livingston and Blaine O'Reilly is still on the same course.

Both graduated from the U.S. Military Academy at West Point in 2011, both were standouts for the Army Black Knights' track and cross country teams from 2007-2011, and now they're both stationed at Fort Eustis as transportation officers.

That's not all. They're roommates in Williamsburg and on Sunday they led Peninsula runners competing in the Rock 'n' Roll Virginia Beach Half Marathon.

The weather conditions — warm temperatures and high humidity — made it extra tough for the field of more than 16,000 runners in the 13.1-mile race. But Livingston, 25, placed 10th overall in a time of 1 hour, 13 minutes and 28 seconds, while O'Reilly, 23, finished 17th among the men and 22nd overall in 1:17:35.

"It wasn't a good race for me. I was hoping to run under 1:10 but the humidity got to me after a few miles," O'Reilly said on Tuesday. Last year — in more favorable weather — the 2007 Gloucester High graduate ran almost five minutes faster (1:12:45) in finishing 27th overall.

O'Reilly said his Army buddy seemed to handle Sunday's conditions better than he did and saluted his performance.

"This was only his second half marathon and I think he ran close to what he wanted to run," O'Reilly said.

Livingston, a prep star in Tucson, Ariz., and O'Reilly used the half marathon as a training run for the upcoming Army 10-Miler Oct. 21 in Washington, D.C. They will be part of a Fort Eustis team that will compete in the event.

Not far behind the military duo on Sunday came Williamsburg's John Piggott. The 47-year-old placed 20th among the men, 26th overall, and was the second master in 1:17:52. For the third consecutive year, he won the men's 45-49 age group that included 566 entries.

Laura Shannon, 50, of Williamsburg turned in another strong performance. She placed 28th in the women's division and won her 50-54 age group that included 378 competitors with a chip time of 1:35:23.

Rick Platt, 62, of Williamsburg and Lindsey Blanks, 14, of Yorktown also took age-group titles. Platt topped his 60-64 division in 1:40:07 and Blanks the girls' 12-14 class in 1:54:50.

Other top performances by Peninsula men came from Henry Gleisberg, 55, of Yorktown, second place in the 55-59 age group in 1:30:44; Alexandre Deur of Yorktown, fourth in the 35-39 division in 1:24:48; and Greg Dawson of Williamsburg, fourth in the 45-49 division in 1:25:40.

Gaylin Glueck, 17, of Williamsburg made a stellar showing in the girls' 15-17 class, finishing second in 1:49:48.

Golf

Jim Gallagher of Yorktown leaves Wednesday for the biggest and most prestigious tournament in his golfing career — the U.S. Mid-Amateur Championship at the Conway Farms Golf Club in Lake Forest, Ill.

In the showcase event, the 54-year-old standout golfer will be competing in a field of 264 players ages 25 and older. After practice rounds on Thursday and Friday, he will begin a battle for survival in the six-day event. That starts with rounds of stroke play on Saturday and Sunday, which will determine the 64 players advancing to match play.

That begins on Monday and continues until a champion is crowned after a 36-hole final on Thursday, Sept. 13.

To advance to match play, Gallagher figures he'll probably have to shoot 1- or 2-over-par in the 36 holes of stroke play.

As one of the top players on the Tidewater Golfweek Amateur Tour, Gallagher is looking forward to playing in the USGA tournament.

"It's the biggest thing I've ever been in," he said Sunday while taking a rare day off from the sport.

As for his goals, Gallagher said: "I'd like to make it into match play and win a match or two. That would be cool."

Triathlons

Adam Otstot of Williamsburg is a solid favorite to win his second consecutive title in the Patriots Half Ironman on Saturday at Anniversary Park in Williamsburg.

Otstot won last year's 1.2-mile swim in the James River, 58-mile bike and 13.1-mile run in a time of 4 hours, 16 minutes and 19 seconds.

The race, which will begin at 7 a.m., will be limited to 800 entries. As of Tuesday morning, 206 slots were still available.

The Patriots Half will be followed on Sunday by a companion event, the Patriots Sprint Triathlon starting at 7:30 a.m. at Anniversary Park.

The sprint — a shorter-distance race — includes a 750-meter swim in the James River, a 20K bike, and a 5K run. Its field will be limited to 700 entries and the sprint, as of Tuesday morning, had 178 open spots.

The 30-year-old Otstot, a physical education teacher in Williamsburg, is a big favorite because he has qualified for the World Ironman in Hawaii three times and he won the 2011 USA Triathlon Long Course National Championship last year.

Among those entered for the sprint is Connie Glueck of Williamsburg, who won the women's overall title at the Jamestown Sprint Triathlon on July 1. That event ended up being a duathlon after bad weather forced cancellation of the swimming competition.

Avery Gillem, 15, of Williamsburg is also entered in the sprint, having finished fifth overall last year.

Online registration for the sprint ends at 7:30 a.m. Thursday. For more information on both events, including on-site registration, visit setupevents.com.